Chapter 3 - Lunar Eclipse – Slaughter!
Kang Jun silently listened to the knights' conversation, trying to understand what was happening. "Lunar Eclipse"... "Underground monsters"... What did it all mean? And most importantly—why was he here? His thoughts were in turmoil, but one thing was clear: he had ended up in a dangerous place.
The people around him looked dejected, tired, and exhausted. They walked in silence, heads bowed, like a flock of sheep heading toward an unknown future. Kang Jun also moved forward, trying not to attract attention.
Suddenly, even brighter lights lit up in the center of the square, and a man in a dark cloak appeared. His face was hidden under a hood, but his voice rang out clearly and authoritatively:
— Brothers and sisters! The time has come! The "Lunar Eclipse" begins! You have all been chosen to be part of a great trial! Only the strongest will survive!
His voice made many shudder. People began whispering, some even crying. Kang Jun felt the tension rising in his chest. His body was still exhausted, he couldn't sense his Ki, but his intuition told him that something terrible was about to happen.
Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet trembled. A dull roar sounded from somewhere far away, making the blood freeze in their veins. The people around him stiffened in horror. Kang Jun gritted his teeth and tensed all his muscles, preparing for a possible battle.
The mysterious man suddenly threw off his cloak, revealing his light-colored outfit, indicating that he had arrived from the Kingdom of Clara.
He was a young man who looked about twenty, dressed in expensive clothing with light-colored hair. A sword hung at his waist, and his body was covered with several pieces of plate armor.
Observing him for only a few seconds, Kang Jun could tell that he was an experienced swordsman, as his stance and hand movements were cautious and ready for a counterattack at any moment.
Everyone in the square was extremely frightened because high-ranking officials only came down here to announce something important.
But the people were impatient, and a commotion arose in the square. However, after a few seconds, it fell silent as the official in bright clothing shouted using a power unknown to ordinary people:
— You are trash! Be silent and listen! I, Kaiser Magnus III, declare that in three days, the Lunar Eclipse will begin! Anyone who refuses to fight the underground monsters will die here in the square! You have already felt the tremors. This means they are close. So listen to the knights and follow their orders! This is a decree of the three kingdoms!
Kang Jun and the others relaxed slightly after Kaiser's shout, but then their blood froze even more than before, and some even lost consciousness.
The once-pleasant voice of the young man turned from kind and polite to a disdainful and wrathful tone that made people freeze in place.
Although most of those present were here for serious crimes, they never thought they would die so quickly.
But as the saying goes, where there is a stick, there is also a carrot. After a short pause, Kaiser Magnus III continued:
— All those who prove themselves well in the defense of this kingdom will be pardoned by law and also have the opportunity to become warriors in one of our kingdoms.
For those who wish to develop their talents, I will provide a technique that will allow you to become stronger than you were before. However, whether you can do it or not depends entirely on you.
I have ordered my knights to write the techniques on the walls of the strongholds. There will be techniques from both the Kingdom of Clara and the Kingdom of Kara. My deputy will explain everything else to you.
— Greetings, people of the Kingdom of Karma. I am Pak Ho, deputy of Kaiser Magnus III, — said a short knight, around thirty years old, with dark stubble on his face.
His voice was deep and just as powerful as the previous speaker's. Kang Jun realized that neither of them was using Ki—this was some other energy unknown to him.
Pak Ho continued:
— We are not so insane as to send you into a slaughter without a minimum plan and preparation. Luckily for you, during this Lunar Eclipse, the elders of the two kingdoms have decided to give you a chance to keep your pathetic lives, but whether you succeed or not depends on you.
As mentioned earlier, you will be provided with techniques that you will have three days to learn. Memorize them well, as you won't have time to read them during battle.
Next, what you need to know is that the defense scheme is divided into three levels.
On the underground level will be children and adult women. They will be given spears to repel monsters coming from the drainage grates and will protect your backs.
The second and third levels are where children and adult men will be stationed. On the second level, people will use melee weapons to defend the fortress walls from a monster breakthrough. Remember, you are not only protecting your own lives but also the lives of the women below you—they are your primary responsibility.
And finally, the third and final level is for warriors of both genders who can use ranged weapons or wish to learn. You are the ones who will be killing monsters on the opposite side of the fortress and protecting the backs of those on the second level.
One last thing—I almost forgot to mention. You will be provided with three meals a day during these three days and throughout the defense of the fortress. All food will be located at outposts on each level, and supplies will be replenished as needed.
Now, divide into three columns and follow the knights! Women to the left, second-level warriors in the center, and third-level warriors to the right!
Kang Jun followed the central column and overheard the murmuring of people questioning what this place was and why they were here. Most of them had been brought here years ago, and nothing like this had ever happened before.
Among the crowd, an old man of about sixty, who had lived here for twenty years, began explaining to the clueless residents:
— This place is called the "Valley of Death," but in reality, it is an extremely deep abyss where the kingdom of "Invincible" was once built. Over time, it split into three kingdoms.
The Kingdom of Clara follows the path of the sword, and it is said that the most talented can awaken the aura of the sword, making their power superhuman.
The Kingdom of Kara follows the path of wisdom, believing that the power of thought is the strongest force in the world. I heard that they can move objects with their minds and strengthen their defenses against mental attacks.
And the third kingdom, where we live, is a place for outcasts from the other kingdoms and beyond. This kingdom is called "Karma" because they hope that all those who live here will pay for their sins with death.
At first, all the kingdoms were on equal footing, extracting metals and gemstones from this cursed abyss and protecting it from monsters. But as the population grew, along with the number of criminals and troublemakers, it was decided to send all scoundrels and traitors to the third kingdom, which was at the lowest level, and force them to protect the peace of the upper kingdoms.
Ah, yes... I forgot to explain—the three kingdoms are not on the same level. They are arranged like a chandelier. The first and second kingdoms are at the same height, while the third is in the middle below them. Thus, it was decided that the third kingdom would become the bulwark of the upper kingdoms and the primary defensive force.
Ten years ago, there was also a Lunar Eclipse, and I can tell you—it was hell on earth. Monsters were attacking from all sides, trying to break into the kingdom, but with the help of knights from the other kingdoms, we managed to hold out with minimal losses. However, the battles lasted almost a month without rest.
"This time, as I've heard, we will hardly be helped, and judging by the fact that they came to cheer us on from 'above,' it's going to be worse than what I experienced last time.
That's why I recommend learning the techniques and trying to succeed in at least one of them, as the chance of survival this time will be less than one percent.
I think they plan to cleanse the population of the third castle, as in recent years, many prisoners and traitors from other kingdoms have been sent here."
Most people who heard this information from the elder felt a chill in their hearts, as most of them understood they wouldn't survive the siege of the castle. Some trembled in fear, some sank into their thoughts, but most lost hope for survival, as they heard the words of the knights standing behind them.
The expected mortality was fifty thousand people, and from Kang Jun's memory, this was seventy percent of the Empire's army, consisting of ordinary people like those in this kingdom. But the difference is that these are ordinary, untrained people, except for the few thousand assassins sent here.
The shock Kang Jun felt after transferring into this body had passed, and he now felt the full range of sensations in his body. He could barely walk, as his body was damaged in several places. Bruises and hunger were making themselves known; it felt like the boy had died of starvation. The pain in his stomach was unbearable, and the nausea in his throat felt like indigestion after a heavy meal.
The people walked to their destination for almost thirty minutes and finally saw their place of stay for the next thirty days.
A large area with hundreds of houses and fabric tents, and in the center stood a field kitchen with cooks and dozens of knights guarding them and maintaining order in the camp.Near the high black walls stood gray crates filled to the top with swords, spears, and halberds. Tens of thousands of weapons mesmerized the thousands of people who had come here. No one expected such preparation from the kingdoms. Most people thought they would be given some rusty or broken weapon, but here was decent middle-quality weaponry, and some even of high quality.
Kang Jun surveyed the area they had to defend and realized that this would be very difficult, as several kilometers of stone walls would require thousands of soldiers to protect them. This was not considering the rotations needed over time, as people would grow tired and die while defending the walls.
"Br-br-br" - the rumbling in his stomach pulled him out of his thoughts, and once again, his body shifted to searching for food.
Kang Jun noticed that several hundred people had lined up in several dozen columns to receive food, while some headed toward the giant column standing in the center of the camp, on which the techniques to be learned were written...